ediate or immediate, is _eo ipso_ also a mediate
grace of the will, which implies a new act of the soul, but not a new
grace. What we are concerned with here is the immediate strengthening
grace of the will, which is far more important and more necessary.

We are not able to demonstrate this teaching from Sacred Scripture. The
texts John VI, 44 and Phil. II, 13, which are usually adduced in this
connection, are inconclusive.

Hence we must rely solely on Tradition. The argument from Tradition is
based mainly on St. Augustine. In defending divine grace against Pelagius,
this holy Doctor asserts the indispensability and superior value of the
strengthening grace of the will.

"By that grace it is effected, not only that we discover what ought to be
done, but also that we do what we have discovered; not only that we
believe what ought to be loved, but also that we love what we have
believed."(54) And again: "Let him discern between knowledge and charity,
as they ought to be distinguished, because knowledge puffeth up, but
charity edifieth.... And inasmuch as both are gifts of God, although one
is less and the other greater, he must not extol our righteousness above
the praise which is due to Him who justifies us in such a way as to assign
to the lesser of these two gifts the help of divine grace, and to claim
the greater one for the control of the human will."(55) St. Augustine
emphasized the existence and necessity of this higher grace of the will in
his controversy with the Pelagians. He was firmly convinced that a man may
know the way of salvation, and yet refuse to follow it.(56) He insisted
that mere knowledge is not virtue, as Socrates had falsely taught.

Ecclesiastical Tradition was always in perfect accord with this teaching,
which eventually came to be defined by the plenary Council of Carthage (A.
D. 418) as follows: "If any one assert that this same grace of God,
granted through our Lord Jesus Christ, helps to avoid sin only for the
reason that it opens and reveals to us an understanding of the [divine]
commands, so that we may know what we should desire and what we should
avoid; but that it is not granted to us by the same (grace) to desire and
be able to do that which we know we ought to do, let him be
anathema;--since both are gifts of God: to know what we must do and to have
the wish to do it."(57)

Like the illuminating grace of the intellect the strengthening grace of
the will effects vital acts and ma